


I Wish to Marry

by irislim



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn, The Viscount Who Loved Me - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Proposals gone wrong, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29797275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irislim/pseuds/irislim
Summary: When no bee interrupted at Aubrey Hall, Anthony was free to continue his pursuit of Edwina. Today he was proposing, as he had always planned - until he wasn’t. A Kanthony AU.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield
Comments: 46
Kudos: 199





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I ran out of Kanthony stories to read, so I wrote one instead. Hope you’ll enjoy!

It did not take much for Anthony Bridgerton to gain an audience with Miss Edwina Sheffield. He had always meant to win her, and her family's inclusion in the house party at Aubrey Hall had sent a clear message to all other prospective suitors that their attempts would be measured against those of the season's most eligible bachelor.

To no one's surprise, most of the feeble-hearted young men had made themselves sparse ever since.

And with the elder Miss Sheffield having already granted her permission, however uncomfortable her revelation had rendered Anthony, there was truly nothing left standing in the way of Miss Edwina Sheffield becoming the next viscountess.

It did not matter that the three times Anthony had called since the house party had been spent in stilted conversation with Edwina, their haltering phrases peppered with recurring inquiries about where her sister was (Kate seemed to always be otherwise occupied whenever Anthony called). It bore no significance that he never seemed to feel a trifle bit excited whenever he came to see Edwina, whereas the two times Kate and the Sheffields came to Bridgerton House for dinner caused his pulse to race and his neck to warn.

What mattered was that he had chosen to marry Edwina - and that he was here to propose today.

"Miss Sheffield, I come here today with one purpose - and it is my sincerest hope that you shall gratify me with an favorable response," Anthony recited the words from memory the moment he and Edwina were left alone.

She sat on the edge of the chaise, prim and tidy, as interesting as a painting on the wall.

She nodded once, though she did not smile.

Anthony nodded as well, his hands braced behind his back as he continued, "I have made no secret of the fact that I intend to court you - and have taken pains to do just that these past weeks."

Again, Edwina nodded, her artfully arranged hair as still as a sculpture. Anthony wondered if he had imagined her nodding at all.

He cleared his throat. "And as is natural and expected, after these many weeks of paying court, I have come today to present - "

He stopped short at the word 'proposal,' its syllables cumbersome upon his tongue.

He had drafted his speech, on paper, and committed it to memory.

There truly was no reason for him to diverge from it now.

"And as is natural and expected - " he repeated, louder this time, "after these many weeks of paying court, I have come today to - "

Again, his throat seemed to constrict around the words.

Edwina remained where she had sat all morning, irremovable. Except now, there was a crease to her brow.

Anthony cursed under his breath and pulled himself taller.

He had arranged various contracts in his life, attended Parliament, hosted hundreds of guests, seduced a dozen women, demanded a duel, and governed over his siblings.

Certainly, there was no reason for a simple marriage proposal, and one without love, to hamper him so.

He decided to revise his speech somewhat. "I have come here today, Miss Sheffield, to ask a question."

She nodded primly, again, although the crease in her brow did not go away.

Anthony inhaled deeply and stepped closer to Miss Sheffield. "I ask, Miss Sheffield, if you would - if you are willing - that you would - "

First, his blasted tongue refused to work, and now his lips had joined the mutiny.

Anthony grimaced, earning a startled look from Edwina; and then he turned and paced until he faced the window.

Perhaps, presented with the enticing view of Milner Street, his question would come more easily.

"Miss Sheffield," he began anew, a sputtering fool. "I came here today because I wish - "

He had half a mind to bite his stubborn tongue in half.

"I am here because I wish to - I wish to marry." He managed to wrangle the statement out of his mouth, although rather not in its supposed form.

 _You_ \- I wish to marry _you_.

 _That_ was what Anthony Bridgerton was supposed to say.

Instead, he had stated that he wanted to marry, in a general sense - as if Lady Whistledown hadn't caught on to this intention and announced it to the world already.

"I am aware, sir," Edwina answered softly, and her impossible politeness sounded almost insulting to him right now.

Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose, frowned deeply, breathed deeply, and sighed.

He was Anthony Bridgerton - a viscount at eighteen, the eldest of eight. And he would conquer this marriage proposal if it was the last thing he did.

"I wish to marry - " he tried again. "I wish - I wish to - "

He spun around and marched towards her, rather stalking like a madman if her shocked expression was any indication.

"Miss Edwina, I am here today, because I wish - " Anthony plunged an invisible hand down his throat and wrestled the words out of his lungs. "Because I wish to marry your sister!"

Miss Edwina gasped. Anthony froze, his mouth agape after all its exertion.

And then, Miss Edwina squealed.

"Yes! Yes! Of course, Anthony!" She jumped up from her sacred spot, giggling like a school girl. She dashed towards him and pulled him into a long and crushing hug - the very sort Hyacinth would give him whenever he agreed to her ridiculous childhood schemes. "Oh, Anthony, I was worried you would never ask!"

It occurred to him, very fleetingly, that he had not actually asked any question. But Edwina looked rather too excited to bother with semantics.

"Oh, Anthony, you shall be my brother! Please, may I fetch Kate? She isn't truly indisposed, you know. She merely wanted to stay upstairs. She sometimes ventures out but never for long." Edwina's eyes sparkled in a way Anthony had never witnessed before.

"Of course," he muttered.

And then she was gone.

And Anthony Bridgerton realized he had five minutes at most to formulate a proposal to Kate. And God help him, he better say it properly this time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the warm welcome to this fandom!

Ever since the events of Aubrey Hall, Kate Sheffield had been forced to acknowledge that Anthony Bridgerton was a good man. And as a good man, he truly did deserve to marry her sister if he so wished.

It was not a happy decision for her. Kate's approval had been begrudgingly bestowed, tainted by her selfish desire to have him for herself. But Kate loved her sister, and the need to do right by Edwina conquered any other wish or hope she may ever harbor for herself.

And thus, after weeks of social graces, today had come - the day Mary left the couple alone as she exited the drawing room, closing the door almost all the way behind her as she turned into the hall. Mary had met Kate's eyes then, and something in her gaze had told Kate she understood.

Kate wasn't supposed to be around today. She made great efforts to avoid the days Anthony called.

But a headache had taken grip on Penelope, and so Kate had found herself back early - early enough to be told by the servant upon her return that Lord Bridgerton had come to call.

And while her every muscle wished to dash upstairs and hide until Edwina had been escorted to the church, Kate stood helplessly in the hall, her feet stuck to the ground as if yoked by an impossible force. She heard Anthony mumble words - words she could not make out but could only imagine to be the tender whispers of a lover.

"Miss Sheffield, shall I take your coat?" A maid approached Kate, momentarily distracting her from her ill-advised eavesdropping.

"Of course," Kate acknowledged. She moved to divulge herself of all the items she had brought for her visit with Penelope. The basket of scones caught at the edge of Kate's glove as she tried to slide it off, and it took a whole minute of concentration to free herself.

Then suddenly, there was screaming.

"Yes! Yes! Of course, Anthony!" Edwina's squeal of delight was hard to miss.

Kate felt her heart sink, even as she rejoiced for her sister. She did not know that Edwina had fancied Anthony so much, although it was entirely possible that she was curbing her enthusiasm merely because she wished to spare Kate. Edwina was perfect like that - always sweet and thoughtful.

And she and Anthony truly deserved each other.

"Oh, Anthony, I was worried you would never ask!" Edwina's subsequent declaration was all Kate needed to hear before she gathered her things and scurried upstairs.

If she had to weep, she would weep alone.

And Edwina would have nothing but her smiles later tonight.

Kate shuffled in her room, putting everything and nothing away as she struggled to keep her sobs at bay. A few tears had already escaped her. She would not allow herself to descend further into a blubbering mess.

She simply had too much pride for that.

A loud banging on her door interrupted her nervous re-arrangement of all her things. Kate wiped her face clean, thankful she had locked the door.

"Kate! It's me! Please let me in!" Edwina hollered rather uncharacteristically loudly after a failed attempt at barging right in.

Kate sniffed, unready to face her sister's happiness just yet.

"Is something wrong?" She called out.

Edwina paused. Then her words rushed forth like a fountain. "Yes, Kate, we need you this instant. Anthony is waiting in the drawing room, and it simply would not do to leave him alone."

"You can entertain him," Kate replied dismally.

"Yes, but - but he wishes to see you too."

Kate frowned. She strode across the room and flung the door open to the sight of a fidgeting Edwina.

"I doubt it," Kate blurted.

"I am here with the sole task of fetching you - I promise." Edwina spoke so earnestly that Kate had to relent.

She sighed.

"Very well."

It was confusing to see Edwina so exhilarated at the thought of Kate coming downstairs with her. But there seemed to be no other recourse at the moment, and so Kate resigned herself to meeting her brother-to-be earlier than she had wanted to.

"Anthony," she greeted, when Edwina had all but shoved her into the drawing room.

The viscount looked up sharply from his contemplative pose, as if his mind had wandered even as he stood in the middle of a rented drawing room.

He smiled, and Kate cursed that he looked so very handsome when he did.

"Kate." He stepped closer.

"I'll leave you to it!" Edwina shouted before she promptly pranced out the room. And, unlike Mary, this Sheffield chose to shut the door firmly behind her, a loud thud in her wake.

Kate dropped her gaze to the floor, deciding that the patterns on the carpet were of much greater interest than the intriguing man before her. She felt him walk closer, his steps gradual yet sure. It frustrated her to no end that she never could keep her composure around him - even after she had decided to wholly embrace his role as Edwina's suitor.

She winced. After today, he would not merely be a suitor anymore.

"Kate," he whispered her name gently when he stood within a foot of her.

She sniffed before looking up towards him. "Congratulations."

The previous softness of his expression morphed into an almost puzzled look. "You congratulate me?"

She swallowed a stray rebellious tear. "Yes."

He crossed his arms. "On what?"

"I congratulate you - upon your engagement."

"My engagement?"

"Yes."

His lips rearranged themselves into a smirk, and Kate had to resolve not to slap him in the face.

He focused on her after a few sideward glances. "I am not engaged."

"You are. I heard Edwina's answer clearly enough."

"Edwina - " His eyes grew rounder, and Kate wish she hadn't said as much. "You were listening?"

"I - I happened to be standing in the hall."

"To listen to my conversation with your sister?"

"No, I - " Kate bit her lip. She may not have chosen to arrive in time for his proposal, but she had tarried by the door. "I heard very little."

"Do you always eavesdrop on my private conversations?"

"No!"

"And what did you hear?"

Kate swallowed harshly, the memory bitter on her tongue. "She said yes, didn't she? And rather loudly enough for the whole house to hear."

The smile on Anthony's face turned positively wicked. Kate desperately wished to smack him and to kiss him all at once.

She frowned at herself. She was not to lust over a man who was to become her brother!

"Kate," Anthony was calling her once more.

Kate crossed her arms, suddenly pouting all to herself.

Her actions did nothing to stop him, for he continued on to ask, "And would you happen to know, dear Kate, why exactly Edwina shouted 'yes' so very loudly?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Must you make me say it?"

"I must - because I think you heard her response - but not what I had said beforehand."

"Does it matter how you said it? You're hardly the first man to ever propose on English soil."

Her remark seemed to cause him amusement, because he had to stifle a laugh - not very successfully - right after.

Kate scoffed. "Are we quite done here? I fail to see why _I_ should have an audience with _you_ on the day you propose to my sister."

"Edwina said yes," Anthony muttered, "because I told her that I wished to marry her sister."

"Well, of course she said yes. She would be a fool not to - " Kate stopped short as the true meaning of Anthony's words impressed themselves upon her mind. Slowly, she met his eyes. Slowly, he smiled.

"You wish to - you wish - " she faltered, her legs starting to feel rather weak beneath her body.

"Yes, I wish to marry you," Anthony said, clear and simple, without a moment's pause. "If you will be so kind as to have me."

"I - you - surely, you do not - "

"Surely, I do, although perhaps I ought to have done a better job at conveying my intentions these past weeks."

"You were courting Edwina."

"Hardly," he admitted, looking duly chastised, "and I fear it was you I thought of the entire time."

Kate frowned. The thought of him wanting her as much as she wanted him was strange - ludicrous, even. No one would ever choose her over Edwina.

"But Anthony," she protested for no reason other than sheer unwillingness to believe his words, "you cannot want this."

He surprised her by looking almost hurt. "I cannot?"

"No," Kate stammered. "You do not wish to marry me."

"But I do."

"You do not. You don't even - "

Her sentence stopped with his lips on hers, his hands braced on her jaw and her waist. She breathed in his kiss, every inch of her body stirred beyond comprehension. He said he wished to marry her, and here he was kissing her - very delightfully - in the drawing room where he was supposed to propose to Edwina.

He said he wished to marry her - and every touch of his lips was fast convincing her that he meant what he had said.

"Anthony," she gasped when he drifted his mouth to her neck. He kissed her tenderly, thoroughly, and passionately all at once. It was baffling - and breathtaking.

"You wish to marry me?" she asked softly when his kisses reached her collar.

"Yes," he answered, a kiss upon her jaw. "And I was hoping that you would agree."

"Agree to what?"

He pulled back then, mischief in his eyes. His arms remained around her, her own hands braced upon his shoulders. "I suppose I must do this right, shouldn't I?"

She looked him in the eye, her heart lightening for the first time since Aubrey Hall.

"Miss Katherine Sheffield, the bane of my existence and the most bewitching woman I have ever met," he spoke fondly, so fondly that Kate's almost cried once more. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She barely had time to say yes before he kissed her again, this time with far more passion than he had ever displayed before.

It took the sound of Mary clearing her throat, thrice, for him to ever stop.

And even then, Kate could only look forward to when he kissed her again.

At least the wink he sent her way promised her that he most definitely would.


End file.
